[B-Greek] Spirit of the Python

Jeffrey B. Gibson jgibson000 at attbi.com
Sat Mar 29 17:29:51 EST 2003



Denny A Diehl wrote:

> Denny Diehl here
>
> Greetings Greekers.  Off topic perhaps.  At any
> rate, respond to me individually, if you would.
>
> In Ac 16:16, the slave girl had a spirit of divination,
> or a Python spirit.  Am I correct in my understanding
> that this was connected to the Oracle at Delphi?

no -- to Apollo.

> Also, I understand that the Oracle breathed fumes
> which came up out of rock in the temple at Delphi.
> Upon breathing these fumes, the Oracle came to a
> frenzied state, in which she would prophesy in ecstatic
> speech which would be interpreted by her attendants.
> Correct or no?

The fume theory was abandoned long ago. But some recent geological
surveys have indicated that it might have been true after all. There
was, I think, a discussion of this on the Classics List some time ago.

> If so, what reference might I find this or correction of
> it?

Try, besides a good commentary on Acts [i.e., Barrett], the article on
PUQWN by W. Foerster in the Vol. 6 of the TDNT.

Yours,

Jeffrey Gibson

>
>
> Thanks!
>
> ________________________________________________________________
> Sign Up for Juno Platinum Internet Access Today
> Only $9.95 per month!
> Visit www.juno.com
> ---
> B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek
> B-Greek mailing list
> B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek

--

Jeffrey B. Gibson, D.Phil. (Oxon.)

1500 W. Pratt Blvd. #1
Chicago, IL 60626

jgibson000 at attbi.com




More information about the B-Greek mailing list